The invention relates to a seal for a ball-thread drive of several parts assembled
Ball-thread drives are employed, in particular, for the adjustment of the landing flaps of aircraft. They must be very dependable in operation. Since these drives are not arranged in enclosed spaces, extremely good seals are required, to prevent both the emergence of lubricant axially along the thread drive seal from the inside toward the outside and the penetration of dirt axially along the seal toward the inside. In addition, the seals are intended to act as ice breakers. Furthermore, they are to be compact in order to achieve the lowest possible weight
A seal which satisfies some of these requirements is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,460. There a sealing ring extends over one thread start in a housing ring. The sealing ring is pressed into the thread groove by a circular elastic spring. The thread gap is, in this case, closed by a separate transverse connection. This embodiment includes a great number of separate parts whose assembly is complicated There is furthermore no dependable unit of these parts in disassembled condition. The separate transverse connection, for instance, can fall out. In particular, transverse gaps can arise on the end surfaces of the transverse connection toward the sealing ring. These gaps substantially reduce the sealing action, in particular upon changes in temperature and wear of the sealing ring.